And If... {completed and edited 2024}

And If... You just let me go ?

•Chapter 5.

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RICHARD'S POV:

Being arrested for a crime that I didn't commit wasn't something I planned to accomplish in my life. Can you even call it an accomplishment to begin with ? I don't think so. An accomplishment is usually something you can be proud of, and a crime --except if you were a psychopath-- wasn't making me feel proud of myself or anything of this caliber. In less than a minute, my whole life changed for the worst. I couldn't believe it and couldn't help but wonder why it was happening to me.

I knew I wasn't perfect. Nobody is. I knew I was no angel and I made some huge mistakes in my life, but I didn't deserve it. This whole situation was making me feel so many different emotions, and all at the same time. I was confused, scared, angry and worried about my family, mostly my son. I was glad he didn't see the scene because I didn't know if I could survive it. In life, I wanted nothing else but the happiness of my son. I also wanted to make him proud to have me as his father. Now, this could change everything and I didn't even do something for this to happen.

It must be a joke, I thought as I wiped my face.

It was the next day and I spent my night in a jail cell. I really thought that I was dreaming, and it was mainly because I didn't want to accept this reality. It couldn't be possible. I did nothing, so why was I here ? I'd never been claustrophobic before, but jail had a way to make you feel that way. I could go nowhere, couldn't eat what I wanted, had to take my shower with strangers and the bed was so much different to the one I had back home. After this rough night, I was grateful for all the things I had and made sure to thank God. I didn't know I took them for granted until I had to go through this experience.

Who was behind this masquerade though ?

I had my ideas, but I needed access to a phone before to jump to conclusions. This man fucked up my life years ago and here he was still doing everything to mess my life up.

But maybe it wasn't him.

I stared at the wall in front of me, nervously tapping my foot on the floor. I needed to get out before to lose my mind. I couldn't stay here another day. I didn't know what my lawyer was doing, but he needed to do his job quicker. I wasn't paying him a lot of money just to spend my checks on him.

Did Tinashe change her mind and decided to let me rot in hell for breaking her heart six years ago ?

No, she wasn't like that. She wouldn't do that to RJ. As myself, the last thing she would want for him is pain. We each would do anything in our power just to guarantee a smile on his face.

My cell's door suddenly opened, cutting off my train of thoughts. I looked up at the guardian, who had a smirk on his face, making me instantly uncomfortable. I heard a lot of crazy stories about jail and I wasn't about to live one.

"Seems like today is your lucky day, Willkingston. You're getting out."

I let out a huge sigh of relief.

TINASHE'S POV:

"Mommy, why the police took my daddy away ? " RJ asked for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. There were practically the only words that were getting out of his mouth since yesterday, after he found out what happened to his father. And he wasn't giving up until getting the answer he was waiting for. The truth, which I couldn't give him. But I didn't want to lie either, so I stayed silent. But I could tell he was getting him irritated, "they're slandering his name on TV."